Center plate.



J. C. DAVIS.

CENTl-.R PLATE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 12. 19:5.

Patented Oct. 26, 1915.

JAMES C. DAVIS, 0F HINSlDALE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 AMERICAN STEEL FOUNDRIES, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

, cnn'rnn PLATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Uct. 26, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES C. DAVIS, a citizen of the United States, and resident of I-Iinsdale. in the county of Dupage and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Center Plates, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to center plates for car bolsters and has particular reference to a novel hardened steel insert adapted to be combined with a steel casting.

Difliculties have been experienced in the past in providing a suitable center plate on integrally cast bolsters. It will be understood that the center plates provided on body and truck bolsters are In constant engagement and the Wear thereon is considerable. This is sought to be overcome by the use of rollers, balls, etc., at a much increased cost. In a construction wherein the center plates are cast integral with the bolster some objections have been made because of the lackof smoothness in the finished casting. This may be overcome by machining or grinding at an increased cost but a plate which can be machined is not of the requisite hardness. The desired hardness may be secured in a well known manner at the expense of increased roughness, which may be removed by emery' wheel grinding.

An object in the present construction is to provide a hardened steel washer which may or may not be shaped to the contour of the center plate and which Washer '01 bearing portion is cast with the bolster. In practice the washer is secured in the mold in connection with the requisite cores and the metal cast therearound. A plate or washer of this description may be of hardened steel having a smooth exterior and for all practical purposes may be substantially a quarter of an inch thick. Such construction has all the advantages of an integral bearing portion together with the advantages of smoothness and extreme hardness, all at a very moderate cost.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein,

Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of a bolster to which my improvement has been applied; Fig. 2 is a section through the construction shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section through a slightly modified form, and, Flg. 4 illustrates a still further-modification.

Referring more particularly to the drawings it will be seen that the cast bolster may include an upper portion 10, having an annular perpendicular flange 11, and a boss 12, concentric with the flange 11. A dished Washer 13, is adapted to be located in the casting, the flanges 14,15, of the Washer lying beneath the flanges 16, 17, formed as a part of the casting. The hard metal bearing member 13, is adapted to be secured in the mold prior to casting and the metal poured therearound. In this manner the plate is securely held in position and provides a hard metal bearing which may be smooth and free from irregularities.

In the construction of Fig. 3, the bolster 10, annular flange 1'1, and flange 16, remain the same. In place of the boss, however, I provide a boss 18, integral with the dished washer 19, the lower portion of the boss being undercut as at 20, and interlocking with the casting. This provides for a hardened bearing for the king-bolt as well as a hardened bearing surface for the mating center plates.

In the construction of Fig. 4, the bolster 21, is provided with an upstanding annular flange 22, and a boss 23. .A simple, plain washer 24, is located at the bottom of the space inside of the annular flange and provides the hardened metal bearing surface for the co-acting plates.

Other modifications than those shown will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art and such modifications as are within the scope of my claims I consider within the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

' 1. In a center plate construction, the combination of a cast bolster-having an integral annular flange, and a hard metal washer cast interiorly of said flange, substantially as described.

2. In a center plate construction, the combination of a cast bolster, and a hard metal washer cast in the metal of the bolster and adapted to act as a bearing for a mating center plate, substantially as described.

3. In a bolster, the combination of an integral, annular flange, a hard metal disk located interiorly of said flange, the metal of the bolster being cast around the edges of said plate, substantially as described.

4. In a center plate construction, a bolster having an integral annular flange, and a central boss, and a hard metal bearing member said integral, annular flange, substantially interlocked with said'bolster members, subas described;

stantially as described. Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 6th day 5. In a center plate construction, the comof July, 1915.

bination of a bolster Wall having an integral, JAMES C. DAVIS.

annular flange, and a hard metal center Witnesses: plate, the edges of which are bent at an FRED S. lVILKEY, angle and adapted to underlie a portion of J. F. LYNN. 

